Um, the period after I've been awake for a couple hours, I've worked out/showered/gotten some chores done and eaten breakfast, and have the place to myself/everyone else is asleep. Which... can be 9am or midnight. Sleep schedules are for people with responsibilities ;P
During my time at school and college I wrote during my evenings (except on weekends when it was as and when I wanted) but during my time at university it has literally been when I have had enough time (this pertains to my personal writing projects only though as, technically, while doing my Creative Writing Undergraduate and Masters degrees I have been writing all the time for my assignments). However, I have much more free time in my summer holidays each year so am then able to write when I want and have recently become aware that mornings seem to be the best time for me. I wake up at 6.30 every weekday morning with my partner (who leaves for work at 7) so I usually write from about 8/9 until 12 then do anything else I need to do during the afternoons. I will need to find a job soon though (seeing as my next rent payment is due in October) so my writing pattern and preference of time will most likely have to be adjusted within the next month or so
Ah, c'mon. Who needs a job to pay bills? That sounds way too responsible. That's a good bit of time you have to write every day right now, though. I have literally all day, but I probably only work about 2 hours total because I'm easily distracted.
Well, one of my close friends has very recently set up her own publishing house and once she is able to pay wages I will be able to work for her full time and then I will probably have a balanced/flexible work-writing schedule as she, and the rest of our team, are all writers too so will understand Yeah, I am definitely trying to make the most of this time before I become busy again but I still have a lot of off days. I get distracted quite easily as well, to be honest :/ recently it seems to take me almost an hour just to write 500 words at times (not very helpful when my Creative Writing Masters dissertation - which coincidentally is also the current section of my novel that I am working on - is due 6th September!)
As a lifelong insomniac, I do most of my best work when everyone else is asleep and I've decided that getting up and doing something (anything) is better than staring at a dark ceiling unable to sleep. It's probably not entirely healthy to go without sleep but I can tell you that when the world is quiet and thoughtful in the deep night it's an especially good time to be creative and productive.
I guess it depends what counts as reading.... I usually read a book for 45 minutes five days a week in my lunch break at work. But I also read the news for 20-30mins in the morning. I also read this forum. And read when I'm researching my own book. Then I usually have subtitles if I watch tv. During work, I read emails. Writing, depends on if I know what I'm writing, as long as I have a scene in mind, I can keep going. But if I have no inspiration, I'll usually come here or do some research.
This is good. Now if only I could answer those questions, haha. Funnily, I've been wanting to learn the banjo and I had just about gave up until I saw you mention it. I miss music. Luckily I don't have a banjo, just an oud I've already abandoned...and a clarinet, and an accordion. I think you get the idea. DLL333 I certainly get the struggle to prioritize with children. Right now I've just settled into a good routine where I have some extra time and I'm trying to figure out what I want to do with it. Really, what will make me the most happy. I've just decided I need to toss out Reddit and I'm going to stop reading for a while (it really is such a time consuming task). I also recently decided not to take any more freelance work and maintain the small job I have now. This leaves me a lot of time but my mind is pulled in a lot of directions. I need to get a better plan for being a more attentive parent, I need to start doing house improvements that we've neglected for the past year, but I also feel the pull to be creative. It might be I have time for all of that--I'm not sure. I'm going to need to be very conscious of my daily schedule for a while. However I think I'm going to start a brief writing session mid-morning. Something small like five hundred words, or maybe just thirty minutes of writing. That's rather doable for me I believe. I'm not going to think much about writing a full story right now--just trying out the daily habit of writing and seeing how it works in my life now.
First thing in the morning, when it's quiet and there are no distractions. My favorite time of the day.
Two different things for me unfortunately, due to work. There is the when WOULD I write, if the choice was my own.. that'd be 10/11pm-4/5am.. I'm definitely a night owl, and could quite easily sit writing throughout the night, with solitude as my writing companion... When DO I, or CAN I write - 5/6pm-10pm, if I have no work to do in/on the house when I get home from work. I find that around 5-6 is a bad time for me to start though, as I've only just gotten in from work, I need time to clear my head before I start, so although I try and start at 5, i'll often think of other things that distract me, such as how things at work went that day, or something like that.
While I'm still on vacation, my ideal writing hours are from midnight to about five in the morning. Night is a very peaceful time in this small mountain village of mine. It happens that I write during daylight hours as well, but never for more than an hour or so at a time. There's always something else going on. When working, I typically write from about 19:00 to 21o. This time is spent in the city. There's a bit more in the way of noise, but I've invested in a nice pair of noise-cancelling headphones. If I had it my way, I'd sit up all night every night and chip away at my stories. Well, not every night, because sometimes there are video games that need playin'. But you know what I mean.
Mm, depends. I don't like writing "in the mood" but sometimes, even if it's a perfectly silent and relaxed night, my mind goes "Well, nothing to think of here, move along" and I end up not writing. To counteract this nasty problem, I keep a tiny notebook on me and write small "could fits" around different stories I have, then when my mind goes "nothing to think he-" I cut it off and then say "Nope, look at all these ideas we've had today!" and get to writing. That....didn't answer the question...... *ahem* I tend to write heavily at night (9pm-12am) and light during the day. That time people take to text is best used for little scribbles.
For me, it's 9:30 - 11:45 am, during the working week. With a cafetiere full of freshly made coffee if possible.
Generally 2pm - 5pm. That is the time the woman I care for takes a nap & it is pretty quiet. Mornings are usually spent getting the house in order for her waking, and night is when I can turn off my brain.
Funny, I struggle to keep my eyes open between 2pm and 5pm...The thought of even opening my laptop...forget it!
For writing: early morning or late at night. I find that if I write during the day, The tone ends up being dry and sounding like you'd expect from an engineer writing, where during down hours my brain allows for more surreal creative thought and the words are more whimsical. It's the same for painting for me. For engineering/science, around noon. I'm more detail oriented during those times and find advanced maths easier to do.
Mornings, 6a to 8a (or 9a, depending when I leave for work) My brain is at its freshest, and it's easier to reject the urge to play videogames.
My brain is like wet cement at that time of the morning... takes me a while to wake up and get creative.
Different times for different things. For hacking up scene-outlines: late morning/early afternoon. For writing proper: By preference from later evening into the night, yet it doesn't work like that. Mostly I write directly after work. I love the early morning hours (when it's still dark) for spending time with my story, but I'm not that productive then.
I know what you mean. I can't write in the cold light of day unless it's work. It just doesn't come out right. Maybe it has to do with the genre? I need to write a little poetic/emotional to suit my taste, and it just doesn't happen during the day.
Interesting thought. I agree, writing is about allowing the end reader to use their imagination, where documentation should leave nothing to the imagination.
